The Tulsa Shock announced on Wednesday they have signed guard Marion Jones to a multi-year deal. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
Jones played her WNBA rookie season with the Shock in 2010, and the former Olympic track star appeared in all 34 regular season games, averaging 3.4 points on 52.5 percent shooting and 1.5 rebounds in 9.4 minutes per game.
"I am thrilled to return to the Tulsa Shock and the WNBA," Jones said. "I was blessed to be part of the Shock's first season in Tulsa, and I look forward to continuing the journey to WNBA success with Coach Richardson over the next couple of years"
Tulsa head coach and general manager Nolan Richardson was happy with the progress Jones made during the season and was glad to have the opportunity to bring her back to Tulsa.
“We are very happy and proud to have Marion Jones back on our team in 2011,” Richardson said. “She came on strong last year and she’s looking forward to starting another season with that experience under her belt. Our entire coaching staff is excited to have her back and we are looking forward to a great year from her on the court.”
Prior to the 2010 season Jones hadn't played organized basketball since her college days at North Carolina in the mid-1990s, and thus she got off to a slow start during her rookie season. However, her hard work and continued dedication to practicing and getting better paid off in the final three games of the 2010 season. Jones averaged 10.6 points on 56.5 percent shooting from the field, 5.3 rebounds and 1.2 steals in 22.7 minutes a game, in the last three games. She earned her first start of the season in the final regular season game when she scored a season and career-high 14 points.
"I am especially pleased and humbled that Coach Richardson and the entire Tulsa Shock family have demonstrated their confidence in my development and my ability to positively contribute to the team, the growth of the organization, and the Tulsa community."
During the off season, Jones has been promoting her new autobiography, On the Right Track: From Olympic Downfall to Finding Forgiveness and Strength to Overcome and Succeed. The book is a candid admission of her actions that caused her to be stripped of her Olympic medals, and how she learned from those mistakes and now shares her story with young people every where.
Jones will be at the NBA All-Star weekend, Feb. 18 - 20 in Los Angeles. Jones along with WNBA Legend Sheryl Swoopes, and NBA and NBA Development League stars will participate in the NBA/WNBA FIT All-Star Youth Celebration, which will include physical fitness instruction and health education for 500 local youth from Los Angeles Recreation and Parks, the Boys and Girls Club and YMCA. The event will promote the importance of living a healthy active lifestyle for children and families.
Jones will also be doing a book signing at the NBA All-Star Jam Session on Saturday.
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